Linux Mint goes Debian???

Yeppers... It's true...

http://distrowatch.com/6263

An interesting diversion for the developers of Linux Mint - the usual Ubuntu base has been replaced with Debian's testing branch to create a new, rolling-release edition of Linux Mint. From the announcement: "Today is very important for Linux Mint. It's one day to remember in the history of our project as we're about to maintain a new distribution, a rolling one, which promises to be faster, more responsive and with which we're less reliable on upstream components. Linux Mint Debian edition (LMDE) comes with a Debian base, which we transformed into a live media and on top of which we added a new installer. It's rougher and in some aspects not as user-friendly as our other editions, it's very young but it will improve continuously and rapidly."

Harvey

Just downloaded, running LiveDVD, and checked for updates...

268 recommended updates for a release not even a day old yet...

I will install this when I get home to give it a whirl

Harvey

Let me know how it looks.

old tech wrote:Let me know how it looks.

Actually, it looks a lot like LinuxMint 9.0. It is a Gnome version, but so far, it looks really, really good... Worth the download, in my opinion...

Harvey

I just checked via Synaptic... my favorite mahjongg game ( Xmahjongg ) is available in the repositories... WOO HOO... I am there

Harvey

From here:

http://www.linuxmint.com/blog/?p=1527




Linux Mint Debian (201009) released!
Written by Clem on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 @ 12:37 pm | Main Topics

Linux Mint Debian (201009)

Today is very important for Linux Mint. It’s one day to remember in the history of our project as we’re about to maintain a new distribution, a rolling one, which promises to be faster, more responsive and on which we’re less reliant on upstream components. Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) comes with a Debian base, which we transformed into a live media and on top of which we added a new installer. It’s rougher and in some aspects not as user-friendly as our other editions, it’s very young but it will improve continuously and rapidly, and it brings us one step closer to a situation where we’re fully in control of the system without being impacted by upstream decisions.

LMDE also represents an alternative, with the same desktop, the same functionality, but a different base, and a difference in hardware support and compatibility. In the scope of our distribution, and our role, which is to provide a modern and elegant operating system, it’s important to give people a choice. We did it with many upstream components. The Software Manager gives users an easy choice when it comes to selecting their favorite applications. We maintain editions for alternative desktops such as KDE, Xfce, Fluxbox and LXDE. And we also provide a choice between 32-bit and 64-bit architectures. From a technical point of view, a package base is a huge part of an operating system. It makes the system using it a derivative of the distribution maintaining it, something that is both based and fully compatible with it. From a user and project point of view though, this is yet another component, and like any other, it can be changed and replaced with alternatives. The Linux Mint desktop which you’ve come to enjoy on top of an Ubuntu base, can be ported to alternative package bases. By the past, I expressed my enthusiasm about this and my interest in experimenting with Debian, Fedora and our own independent base. Work started on Debian about 3 years ago, it was hesitant and we didn’t have the resources to make it a priority. After the release of Linux Mint 9 LTS, we decided to set some time aside for this project, and we’re now proud to announce that Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) is out, and available for download!

Welcome to Linux Mint Debian. I’d like to thank all the testers and our development team, Ikey Doherty in particular, for the work that they put in it. I personally had a lot of fun working on this project, and I hope you’ll enjoy this new distribution.
Important links

* Download mirrors
* Known problems
* Changelog

LMDE in brief

* Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) is a rolling distribution based on Debian Testing.
* At the moment, it comes as a 32-bit live DVD with a Gnome desktop.
* The purpose of LMDE is to look identical to the main edition and to provide the same functionality while using Debian as a base.

FAQ
1. Is LMDE compatible with Ubuntu-based Linux Mint editions?

No, it is not. LMDE is compatible with Debian, which isn’t compatible with Ubuntu.
2. Is LMDE fully compatible with Debian?

Yes, 100%. LMDE is compatible with repositories designed for Debian Testing or Debian Squeeze.
3. What is a rolling distribution?

LMDE constantly receives updates. Its ISO images are updated now and then but users do not require to re-install it on their systems.
4. How does LMDE compare to the Ubuntu-based editions?

Pros:

* You don’t need to ever re-install the system. New versions of software and updates are continuously brought to you.
* It’s faster and more responsive than Ubuntu-based editions.

Cons:

* Although it’s using Romeo for unstable packages, LMDE continuously changes as it receives updates and new software. Compared to a frozen version of Linux Mint which changes very little once it’s publicly released, it’s not as stable. Things are likely to break more often but fixes can also come quicker. For this reason, LMDE requires a deeper knowledge and experience with Linux, dpkg and APT.
* Debian is a less user-friendly/desktop-ready base than Ubuntu. Expect some rough edges.

5. Will it come in 64-bit? With KDE or other desktops?

The decision wasn’t made yet. LMDE is an experiment. Although we’re quite confident it will gain in popularity, we want to get an idea of how many users will switch to a Debian base before going further with it and bringing impacts to other editions. The idea of reaching the same level of functionality without using Ubuntu is quite challenging. It means there are missing pieces in the equation, components which need to be ported or re-written, and whether the pros outweight the cons, this is something we need to assess. A 32-bit Debian-based Gnome edition allows us to work on this with the community. When it’s fully on par with the Main Edition and if there is a demand for it, further editions will come for LMDE.
Additional notes:

* About the installer: The live installer is developed from scratch with Debian in mind. It’s configurable and it can be re-used by other Debian-based distributions. We noticed a lack in live technologies and in live Debian installers, so we’re happy to take the lead on this. If you’re a developer and you’re interested in using it, have a look at its source repository and don’t hesitate to contact us so we can help you fork it and merge upcoming changes between our two projects.
* About bugs: Please do not use Launchpad for bug reports. We’re considering the best strategy to collaborate with upstream Debian developers. In the meantimes, we opened the following forum thread.
* About the “wrong ISO”: We recorded that 0.3% of our user base got the wrong ISO, which was synced a few days ago. If you did, you can either download the correct one, or simply update live-installer using the update manager.
* About the media: It comes as a liveDVD. Locales work differently in Debian and the package base requires more space. We made LMDE compatible with unetbootin though, so you can install it using a USB stick.
* Dedicated chat room: #linuxmint-debian is open to new LMDE users on irc.spotchat.org.



Harvey

Great I love mahjongg and Freecell. you can really get addicted to them.

Wow I am really suprised by this one they have been Ubuntu based since the beginning.

Been runnin it since last night. Sweet OS. I installed it from USB and it was a fast installation. Also, the installer seems a bit like the remastersys installer. If you do not have the partitions already setup it will open up Gparted to make them. Then it's a simple install after that. Awesome work.

I tried to run LiveDVD on my new box, and it worked... all but the nic ... no internet connection... I guess I need to break down and buy a d-link card and install it in my new box. My Asus board has an nic that is too new for most distros, it seems... other than distros based on lucid...

Harvey

Just tested DVD here everything worked out of the box including wireless. It looks like it will be pretty easy to run Trinity on top of this as well a win win situation.

jpisini wrote:Just tested DVD here everything worked out of the box including wireless. It looks like it will be pretty easy to run Trinity on top of this as well a win win situation.

Stay out of my head J. I was just thinkin that.


Edit:
Only thing I am not likin about this edition, is I decided to go ahead and update and it has been goin over an hour already. Maybe it hasn't installed my eth0 properly? Am gettin less then 30kibs.....

Well, well, well...

I remembered that I had a Linksys USB Wireless adapter (WUSB54GC) in my "parts pile", plugged it in...and WAA LAA...Once I entered all my security codes into the dialog boxes... I am on and posting LiveDVD...

Pretty amazing what Linux can do... I have a totally blank hard drive in the sata rack, and I am getting ready to install this. All in all... VERY IMPRESSIVE, and the neat part... it is Debian based, so there are tons of options available.

Harvey

New update: Transmission does not seem to work. Tried seeding a file that I have on another partition and it would not verify that data, nor would it even connect to the tracker, am now installin ktorrent just to see if that works.

Edit: ktorrent same results. Not sure wtf is goin on. Also, the dl speed to get ktorrent terminal was abominable. Max was around 27kibs. So, I tried completely removin Transmission and re-installin it, but still no love. I'm a heavy torrenter, so this will not work for me. Awesome OS, very fast, sleek, all the bells and whistles for a great and awesome OS, but not if your into torrenting.

Would like to hear others about their experience with Transmission, this problem could just have been a fluke, might have been a bad install or a bad burn, or even a corrupt dl. But I don't think so. MD5 matched up, so I doubt was a corrupt dl.

An update...

I installed the OS. It kind of froze on the last part of the install, so I rebooted and had to run "configure --a" or some such in the terminal as su.

After that, all is well. I am currently copying over all my files from my Windows box as both a backup to Windows, but to also be able to access them while running Mint-Debian. The copy speed is between 1.4 to 2.0 MB/sec so copying several GB's is going to take a while ...

Not to mention that I have to get to work, so I can't keep at it. I am waiting to update my install until the download of my Bible study software (Logos 4) gets completed via wireless... Several Gb's in that download too... Here is a linky if anyone is interested in the BMW of Bible study software:

http://www.logos.com/comparison

Hopefully they will port their program to Linux one day, but they do have a MAC version about to be released... So there is hope

Harvey

Did not try any torrents as I was only running live but I usually use some videos and pictures on my file server to test plugins and speed and it did not have any problems playing video over a 11mb wireless network. Wasn't slower than normal or faster than normal seemed in line with other distros. My wireless card uses the ath9k module and needs a pretty up to date kernel or a hand compiled module. Stock Lenny does not work but Kanotix does.

hqlinux wrote:An update...

I installed the OS. It kind of froze on the last part of the install, so I rebooted and had to run "configure --a" or some such in the terminal as su.

After that, all is well. I am currently copying over all my files from my Windows box as both a backup to Windows, but to also be able to access them while running Mint-Debian. The copy speed is between 1.4 to 2.0 MB/sec so copying several GB's is going to take a while ...

Not to mention that I have to get to work, so I can't keep at it. I am waiting to update my install until the download of my Bible study software (Logos 4) gets completed via wireless... Several Gb's in that download too... Here is a linky if anyone is interested in the BMW of Bible study software:

http://www.logos.com/comparison

Hopefully they will port their program to Linux one day, but they do have a MAC version about to be released... So there is hope

Harvey

Thanx for the link, will def be givin that study software a try.

LinuXFroG wrote:
Thanx for the link, will def be givin that study software a try.

Let me know what you think...

I have researched various software titles of Bible study and Logos 4 always came out on top. I had purchased a version from them in 1998. I read forums, read reviews, etc., etc., etc. It is a fairly expensive software package, but when you look at what all you get, plus you get the Logos indexer which searches over your entire library, it is really a decent price and you definitely get your bang for the buck, so to speak.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED...

And no, I don't work for Logos... LOL

Harvey

hqlinux wrote:It is a fairly expensive software package...

And no, I don't work for Logos...

Given some of the licensing costs (upward of $5G's), maybe you should ...

Yea, abit pricey for my poor blood. Will stick with E-Sword for now.

S3Indiana wrote:

hqlinux wrote:It is a fairly expensive software package...

And no, I don't work for Logos...

Given some of the licensing costs (upward of $5G's), maybe you should ...

LOL

You would have to have a doctorate in theology to even make sense of all the included works in that link...

I chose the Leaders package:

http://www.logos.com/leaders

which has everything that I would really ever use.

It's cost is only $325.00, but since I was a customer of theirs, I got a discount on my upgrade pricing. But even if I wouldn't have gotten the discount, it would be worth it to me. There is around 300 different resources included, fully indexed, which if you would purchase separately via hardcover or paperback, would come up to almost $5,000.00 worth of reference materials.

I looked at Biblesoft's Advanced Library:

http://store.biblesoft.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ARL5

and it ran $450.00. It only has 127 reference works. Even their Professional Version only has 147 reference works, and it sells for $674.95. Not to mention on their forums, people were wondering when the promised 6.0 upgrade would EVER be released... Since I was going to use my Bible study software on Windows 7 (64bit) I wanted to be sure that the software would work. There were many complaints about aero not working, etc., etc., etc. that I decided to go with Logos 4.

All in all, worth the money in my opinion. I have no regrets...

Harvey

I downloaded the Lint Mint Debian ISO directly from Mint's list of mirrors and there is a torrent sourc, this site - -

http://www.linuxmint.com/download_lmde.php

Torrent is likely the quickest way to download the 8.7 GB ISO.
This is a 32-bit version. It is a rolling release and will not be re-numbered for now but continuous upgrades automatically. Already there are some automatic upgrades and these took over an hour to download on line from the repository , which incidentally is quite slow at present.
I installed on an ext4 partition. At present the installatiion is using 3.8 GB on that partitiion.
I am multi-booting alongside a Debian Squeeze 64-bit , and a Linux Mint Isadora 64-bit , to compare them.
During install, the partition section comes up with a list where you can set a mount point for other partitions. If you format make sure the partitiion is marked to be mounted. Swap will be handled automatically. Normally only the root partition requires to be formatted.
The installer only asks for a Sudo User password. But some application dialogues ask for " Root " password (which is a carry over from Debian. Here you must create a new Root passdword - -
Terminal
sudo passwd
(Enter a neew Unix password , twice)
This then beomes the Debian-type Root password.
To log in as Root in CLI - -
Terminal
su
(enter Root password)

LM Debian usins the regular Mint software manager " mintinstall 7.1.7 " which is almost identical with Squeeze's Softwarer Center 2.0.7 . Excewpt Mint has a progress bar in the dialogue window, whereas the SC has a spinning icon.
LM Debian connects directly with the Debian repositories , and also you can just use APT .
The Gnome desktop is standard, and it is quite configurable as you can see from this snapshot.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/6501752/LMDE.jpeg

Mint will stay with the 32-bit system for a while until everything is stabilized.

I have experienced a few bugs as well. When I minimize Firfox or any program, it just disappears. It doesn't go down into the taskbar tray as one would suspect. I have also found that the repositories are EXTREMELY slow... I have a 2MB/sec connection, and my download rate was in the "baud" range It took all night to download the updates, which several never even happened.

I believe that it is more on Debian's side of things than Mints, to be honest. Mint's 9.0 is definitely better than their first Debian release.

I was hoping that after the updates that did download and install I would be able to use my NIC instead of the Linksys USB wireless dongle, but alas, no joy...

I will keep it on that rack drive for a while, but if there isn't any improvements to it in the next few months as far as I'm concerned, I'll load a different distro on it.

Harvey

I downloaded all the updates in under 15 minutes in a virtual machine at work.

Install and everything went fine for me, updating from their repos as the screen I posted shows was very slow. Installing anything from their repos was also painfully slow. No other issues other then the ones I posted. With that said, it is not up to par with their other releases and is no longer on my system.